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The Pursuit of Mastery

2026-01-29 20:31
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The Pursuit of Mastery

In this monthly issue, we explore what mastery is, how it’s cultivated, and why some people are willing to trade it all for a chance to be the best.

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  • Videos Back Latest Videos Bald man wearing glasses and a dark suit jacket sits against a plain white background, looking slightly to the side with a neutral expression. The computing revolution that secretly began in 1776 “In the process of mapping the heavens, it doesn’t take long to realize the data problem they generated.” A man in a black suit sits on a chair in front of a white backdrop in a modern brick-walled room with large windows and minimal furnishings. How the Industrial Revolution invented modern computing “The process of systematizing, correcting errors, finding approximations, and making them work as civil systems that was what really drove… An older man with glasses and a light blue shirt sits and smiles while raising his hand with fingers spread, in front of a plain white background. Why modern fitness culture misunderstands human bodies “It’s this modern idea of doing voluntary discretionary, physical activity for the sake of health and fitness.” A man with short hair and a beard, wearing a light blue button-up shirt, sits indoors in front of a wooden wall. Why even the healthiest people hit a wall at age 70 “By keeping people biologically younger, we can enjoy a longer health span, a longer period of healthy life where we’re… A woman sits on a chair in front of a white backdrop in a brick-walled room, with potted plants on tables on either side. The biggest myth about aging, according to science “This will help people take meaningful steps to slow the rate of aging and increase what we call their health… A woman sits on a chair against a white backdrop, gesturing with her hands, with a dynamic black background and white abstract swirl surrounding her. The hard problem of consciousness, in 53 minutes “Our conscious awareness is everything. And the fact that it’s still so mysterious to scientists and to all of humanity,… A woman with long brown hair wearing a tan blazer over a dark shirt sits in front of a plain white background, looking at the camera. Our intuitions about consciousness may be deeply wrong  A man sitting in a chair. Why Stoicism treats self-control as a form of intelligence
  • Columns Back Columns MINI PHILOSOPHY with Jonny Thomson" text on black background with icons of pathways, scales, and a bird. Mini Philosophy A philosophy column for personal reflection. X-ray galactic center Starts With A Bang An astrophysics column on big questions and our universe. A black background with the symbols "B | T" in a box on the left and the word "BOOKS" on the right, with the first "O" replaced by an open book icon. Books A literature column to feed your curiosity. Abstract image featuring a human silhouette filled with various medical and neural diagrams, with brain scan images in the background. A small figure is walking towards the center, symbolizing the long game. The Long Game A business column on long-term thinking. Strange Maps A geography column on history and society. The Well A collection of essays and videos on life’s biggest questions. 13.8 A column at the intersection of science and culture.
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View our Twitter (X) feed View our Youtube channel View our Instagram feed View our Substack feed Search Popular SearchesCritical thinkingPhilosophyEmotional IntelligenceFree Will Latest Videos Latest Articles Monthly Issue

January 2026

The Pursuit of Mastery

The timeless quest to go beyond competence and achieve excellence.

You know mastery when you see it — on the stage, on the page, or on the field. But beyond raw practice, what actually creates mastery? What elevates skill from competent to extraordinary? In this monthly issue, we explore what mastery is, how it’s cultivated, and, perhaps most intriguingly, why some people are willing to trade it all for a chance to be the best. Inside, neuroscientist Rachel Barr speaks with author David Epstein about the systems that build star performers. Philosopher Massimo Pigliucci examines the ancient idea that we can only truly master one thing in life. And neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff dismantles five myths that make us quit before the real progress begins. All that and much, much more. We hope you enjoy.

Read Less María Medem The Long Game

How a small shop in Kyoto connects mastery with meditation

What 150-year-old Japanese workshop Kaikado can teach us about finding calm through focus in an age of distraction.

by Eric Markowitz A craftsman hammers metal on a wooden block; beside him, a cylindrical copper container—showcasing Kaikado mastery—rests against a green background. Thinking

From self-erasure to self-mastery: Ethan Suplee’s second act

The actor learned control, endurance, and focus on-set. Those lessons became the foundation of his real-world fight with addiction and self-hatred.

by Mike Wehner Illustration of a man in a suit with two shadowy, muscular figures flexing in the background, reminiscent of Ethan Suplee's transformation, set against a blue abstract backdrop. Strange Maps

Memorizing London’s 25,000 streets changes cabbies’ brains — and may prevent Alzheimer’s

One of the toughest vocational exams in the world requires candidates to memorize 25,000 streets in an area five times the size of Manhattan.

by Frank Jacobs A person stands next to a large book titled "The Knowledge," symbolizing mastery of the city’s map. Smart Skills

The systems that build star performers

Many top performers start behind — and overtake the early leaders later.

by Rachel Barr A tortoise wearing a blue "1st Place" ribbon on its shell, posed against a plain light background. Neuropsych

How training your gaze could help you master sports — and your own attention

Elite athletes train their “quiet eye.” What happens if the rest of us do the same?

by Ross Pomeroy A stylized human figure runs in front of a large, abstract eye, with geometric shapes and colorful patterns in the background. Smart Skills

How a Japanese philosophy helped me improve my life

Kaizen taught me that tiny, consistent changes can be more powerful than dramatic overhauls.

by Sarah Harvey An abstract illustration shows overlapping target patterns, tally marks, and a dart hitting the bullseye—capturing a kaizen spirit—with pink gridlines and muted beige, yellow, and red tones. High Culture

The last masters: The international effort to preserve an ancient craft

The revival of Pasto Varnish shows how living heritage can survive if knowledge is passed on in time.

by Kristin Houser A man with glasses and a beard works on a clay sculpture using a tool, set against a collage of historical art images and decorative patterns inspired by traditional Pasto varnish techniques. Smart Skills

The 5 myths that make us quit before we get good

These cultural lies make normal struggle feel like failure. A habit of experimentation makes it feel like progress.

by Anne-Laure Le Cunff A person stands on a ladder trimming a green hedge decorated with pink flowers, while a large pair of scissors is visible in the foreground. Neuropsych

Mastering the edge: How success raises the stakes for elite adventurers

For elite climbers, divers, and explorers, mastery can fuel an escalation loop in which identity and danger rise together.

by Christopher Ferguson A yellow silhouette of a person dives above the snow-covered peak of a mountain against a dark sky. Books

7 must-read books for mastering essential life skills

Timeless guidance on communication, time management, creativity, and more from some of today’s most influential thinkers.

by Jasna Hodžić A silhouette of a human head is filled with books on psychology and mental health, surrounded by images of hands, brains, and handwritten notes on a teal background. Thinking

You can only truly master one thing, according to Epictetus

The Stoic philosopher argued that most of life is outside our control — but the little we do control defines who we are.

by Massimo Pigliucci A grayscale silhouette of a person stands in a foggy landscape, surrounded by overlapping colorful geometric shapes and a stormy sky background. Classes on Mastery A wall clock is combined with the silhouette of a snail against a textured blue and light blue background. Members 8 videos Slow Productivity Cal Newport Computer scientist and author A woman with medium-length brown hair, wearing a navy sweater, pearl earrings, and a beaded necklace, smiling at the camera against a plain light background. Members 8 videos Mastering the Unnatural Act of Leadership Alisa Cohn Author From Start-up to Grown-up; Executive Coach, Alisa Cohn & Associates, Inc Elderly man with long curly hair and a full white beard, centered in a pink-tinted square frame with a pink background. Members 8 videos Find Your Focus Multiple Instructors Geometric shapes including circles and arrows in various colors and patterns, with a sepia-toned man's face inside an upward arrow, on a dark blue background. Members 7 videos Mastering the Art of Sales and Persuasion Dan Pink Author, “Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us” A silhouette of a running person is surrounded by three curved arrows forming a circle, each in blue, green, and purple, on a patterned background. Members 7 videos Building Habits That Stick Gretchen Rubin Author, Columnist for O, The Oprah Magazine A quadrant image showing three jets in flight, a right arrow symbol, a clock icon, and a man’s face in grayscale. Members 10 videos A TOPGUN’s Guide to Elite Performance Guy Snodgrass TOPGUN Graduate and Instructor, Ret., and Author “TOPGUN’s Top 10” A geometric pattern with green, black, and cream rectangles, cream grid lines, and yellow arcs on a textured background. Members 5 videos The Art of Ambitious Goals Multiple Instructors A middle-aged man with short gray hair and a receding hairline is smiling, wearing a dark t-shirt against a light blue background. Members 8 videos Productivity for Mortals Oliver Burkeman Author, “Meditations for Mortals” Illustration of a human ear cross-section above, with a pink sound wave graphic on a red background below. Members 9 videos The Science of Productivity Charles Duhigg Writer, The New Yorker Magazine Learn from the world’s biggest thinkers.
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